Wildfires impact the global land surface and post-fire geomorphological activity, increasing surface runoff and soil erosion. However, a global quantitative assessment considering the cumulative effects of multiple wildfires has been lacking. A recent study conducted a global assessment of cumulative wildfire-driven geomorphological changes over the past two decades to quantify post-fire soil erosion. Utilizing a global database on wildfire occurrence and severity, combined with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model and landscape recovery monitoring based on remote sensing data, this study estimated global trends in post-fire soil erosion.

The results indicate that, when considering multiple wildfire events, global post-fire soil erosion amounts to 8.1 ± 0.72 Pg annually, accounting for 19% of the global soil erosion budget. This represents an annual increase of 5.1 ± 0.56 Pg in soil erosion compared to pre-fire conditions. Furthermore, soil erosion occurring in the first post-fire year accounts for 31% of the total erosion, while the remainder is attributed to previous wildfire occurrences. On a global scale, Africa is the continent most severely impacted by post-fire soil erosion due to its substantially larger burned area. These findings illustrate the magnitude of global post-fire soil erosion, thereby supporting post-fire management actions for the mitigation and restoration of affected areas, as well as policies aimed at land degradation neutrality.

Details at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01876-0